The three-time world time trial champion would never dare say he can win the Tour, but he is determined to become a force in cycling's most famous race after his horrific bad luck.
The 29-year-old says he nearly gave up the sport when he returned to Australia two years ago to recover from a bout of Epstein Barr Virus.
A year earlier, he was set to become the Tour leader when he crashed, breaking his collarbone.
Rogers steadily regained form last year, finishing eighth in the Tour of Italy and then working for HTC Columbia's star sprinter Mark Cavendish in the Tour de France.
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This year, he wants to break back into the Tour's top 10.
No-one, least of all Rogers, is talking about him winning or reaching the podium in Paris - but he says the thought of those lofty heights keeps driving him.
"I'm not saying I'm going to win the Tour de France, because not many people can say that, but I want to give it a go and give it my best," Rogers said.
"That's everyone's dream and why not? - anything can happen.
"The favourites can puncture, the favourites can crash.
"You've got to hang on to a hope and never abandon that, it's what we do."
In 2006, Rogers finished ninth overall in the Tour and seemed set for more success.
But after his 2007-08 disasters, Rogers went home to Canberra with low spirits as he tried to recover from his illness.
Australian Institute of Sport physiologist Dr Dave Martin, a popular figure in cycling, convinced him to keep riding.
"I came within inches of retiring," Rogers said.
"That's the ups and downs of the sport, the ups and downs of any job, probably - everyone goes through hard times.
"He (Dr Martin) reminded me of the things I'd done in the past and tried to encourage me to just get back into a basic level of fitness.
"I always tried probably for a couple of years to do too much on my own, whereas I had a lot of people who were willing to help, I was just a little bit scared to ask."
After recovering from the virus, Rogers scored two top-10 results at the Olympics and used the Tour of Italy last year to return to three-week Grand Tour racing.
"He's come back, he's re-stated himself at the top of cycling again and now wants to have a great crack at the Tour, see what he can do," said HTC director Allan Peiper.
Rogers has also returned to working under Italian coach Aldo Sassi, who has helped Cadel Evans.
"I should have done it five years ago - they just live next door (in Italy)," Rogers said of Sassi and his Mapei Institute.
Rogers will be among the big names in this week's Tour Down Under, where he hopes to contend for a stage win.
